Kanye West is heading South for his first political event.
The rapper and former avowed supporter of President Donald Trump will hold the first presidential campaign event of his own Sunday in South Carolina, according to a campaign document obtained by POLITICO.
West will host the afternoon stop at the Exquis Event Center in North Charleston for registered guests only. All attendees will be required to wear masks, observe social distancing and sign a Covid-19 liability release form.
West, who announced his White House campaign on the Fourth of July, filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission last week, listing “BDY” — the Birthday Party — as his party affiliation. He tweeted Saturday for supporters to get him on the ballot in South Carolina.
“Hi guys please sign up to put me on the ballot in South Carolina at any of these locations,” he said, listing eight venues and linking to the website kanye2020.country. “You can also sign up at the website.”
The 43-year-old’s late entry to the campaign trail comes as former Vice President Joe Biden leads Trump by 9 percentage points, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average. West has not registered in any major polls, even among voters opposed to Trump or Biden.
Over the past two weeks, questions have been raised about West’s intentions, with New York Magazine quoting Steve Kramer, a get-out-the-vote specialist whom West had hired, claiming that West had dropped out, and TMZ reporting that his family was concerned for his mental health. That changed Wednesday, when he suddenly filed to be on the November ballot in Oklahoma.
“He’s registered in, I think, two states,” said a source familiar with West’s campaign. “It’s such a baby organization it doesn’t even have a logo yet.”
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